Randall may seek another term as mayor

January 8, 2013

LAKE PLACID - It sounds like village Mayor Craig Randall will seek a second term in this spring's election.

Randall, who ran for office successfully as a team with Trustees Zay Curtis and Art Devlin in 2009, told the Enterprise recently that his "intention is to run again," but he wants to make sure the village Board of Trustees continues to function as a group.

"I want this board to be a board that continues to be compatible and works well together," Randall said.

Earlier this month, Curtis announced that he won't seek another term on the board, noting that he only planned to serve one four-year term. He sold his share of Curtis and Bissonette Inc., a Lake Placid-based financial advisory firm, about five years ago and planned to retire. Now, he intends to do just that.

Randall said he had known about Curtis' decision for some time. The mayor said he's disappointed because he thinks the current board has functioned well together. He said there's been only one or two occasions where they haven't voted together. The other trustees are Jason Leon and Peter Holderied.

"I will miss him," Randall said of Curtis. "If I could convince him to run again I would do it. He's made a tremendous contribution to this community."

Devlin said he would run again if Randall does.

Randall said he wants to "solicit the feelings of the remaining board members." He added that he'd be interested in recruiting someone who wants to run.

"I look forward to the next term as one where the focus is the community," Randall said. The last four years, he said, have been focused on improving the village's finances and undertaking big infrastructure projects like the replacement of old, decaying trunk sewer lines.

"The comprehensive plan is something we want to try to put our arms around," Randall said. "There's a lot of things in there that we'd like to see expanded. I want to see more of a focus on the senior and youth elements in the community and an integration of interests between those two elements."

Four seats will be up for grabs in the March 19, 2013, election: mayor, two trustees and the village justice seat currently held by Bill Hulshoff. They are all four-year terms.